In recent times, Canada has been starkly reminded of the pervasive threat of foreign interference and transnational repression (TNR), a menace that undermines the sovereignty and safety of its citizens. While the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been drummed up Justin Trudeau and the pro-Khalistan elements publicly to point fingers at India, his death seemed more of a gang war, nothing more. However, it is crucial to pivot our attention towards another formidable source of Canadian TNR – China. The revelation from Canada’s domestic spy agency regarding China’s interference in the last two elections underscores the gravity of suspected meddling in Canadian politics. The disclosure, made during an official probe, provides the most concrete evidence yet of China’s involvement in shaping electoral outcomes. A slide presented during the commission hearing contained excerpts from a February 2023 briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), stating unequivocally, “We know that the PRC (Peoples’ Republic of China) clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.” The briefing highlighted the pragmatic nature of these foreign interference activities, which primarily aimed to bolster candidates perceived as ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on matters of interest to the Chinese government. This confirmation raises significant concerns about the integrity of Canada’s democratic process and calls for robust measures to safeguard against future meddling attempts. The experiences of Canadian MP Michael Chong, who faced a coordinated disinformation campaign from China due to his criticism of the country’s treatment of Uighurs, exemplify Beijing’s audacious attempts to silence dissent abroad. This is not an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader strategy employed by the Chinese government to exert its influence and suppress opposition globally. The plight of the Uighur community in Canada, subjected to harassment, surveillance, and threats from Chinese operatives, underscores the extent of Beijing’s reach. Activists like Mehmet Tohti and Bakhtiar Semseddin have courageously spoken out, despite the risks to themselves and their families, about the tactics employed by the Chinese government to intimidate and silence them. Furthermore, the ordeal of Omar Abdulaziz, targeted by cyber espionage, illustrates the sophistication and intrusiveness of the tools at the disposal of authoritarian regimes like China and Saudi Arabia. The use of Pegasus Spyware in Abdulaziz’s case is a chilling reminder of the lengths to which these governments will go to clamp down on dissent, even beyond their borders. The Canadian government’s response to these threats has been lackluster at best. While there are ongoing inquiries and discussions about strengthening laws to combat foreign interference, the victims of TNR often feel abandoned, lacking adequate support from law enforcement and intelligence services. The case of Yuekang Li, denied a study permit due to fears of espionage, signals a growing awareness but also hints at the complexity and challenge of addressing this issue. Canada’s large and diverse diaspora communities make it a prime target for foreign interference and TNR. The state must recognize the gravity of this threat and take decisive action to protect its residents. This involves not only enhancing legal frameworks and law enforcement capabilities but also providing support and resources to those targeted by such campaigns. The creation of a standalone definition of transnational repression, as advocated by former minister of justice Irwin Cotler, could be a significant step forward. It would clarify the nature of the threat and enable more effective responses. Moreover, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and other agencies need the authority and means to engage more proactively with communities at risk, offering guidance and support. In light of these pressing issues, it is imperative for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the current Canadian administration to adopt a firmer stance against China’s transnational repression tactics. Instead of appeasing Beijing, Canada must take a stand and speak out against the injustices and infringements on freedom perpetrated by the Chinese government. While addressing concerns related to any nation, including the allegations against India, it is crucial that the Canadian government maintains a balanced and principled approach. Pandering to any group, including Khalistani extremists, should not overshadow the broader imperative to challenge and counter the real and present threats emanating from China. The safety and democratic values of Canada and its residents necessitate a clear, strong, and consistent voice against all forms of foreign interference and repression, without any bias or preferential treatment. Source: khalsa Vox

Foreign Minister Dr. Hassan Mahmud and his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis vowed to forge bilateral  cooperation in different areas including migration and mobility, trade and investment, shipping, manpower and recruitment, development of renewable & alternation energy infrastructure during a bilateral meeting held Tuesday (April 16) morning in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens on the sidelines of the 9th Our Ocean Conference.   They also expressed satisfaction at the continuous cooperation and excellent bilateral relations between the two nations. The Greek Foreign Minister also cordially accepted the invitation of Bangladesh Foreign Minister to visit Dhaka and mentioned that the visit can be a good option to inaugurate the Greek Diplomatic Mission there. Earlier in the discussion, he assured the Foreign Minister that opening a Diplomatic Mission in Dhaka is a priority for the Greek government.  Bangladesh Foreign Minister requested the Greek Foreign Minister to encourage Greek businesses to import state of the art quality Bangladeshi items and urged him to facilitate the exports from Bangladesh. Greek Foreign Minister agreed on the need to enhance bilateral trade where there remains huge untapped potentials and stressed on the need to find a suitable strategy to help grow bilateral trade and investment.  Hassan Mahmud thanked the Greek government for legalizing more than 10,000 Bangladeshi nationals who were living in Greece under the MOU on Migration and Mobility and called for smooth implementation of the second part of the MOU. The Greek Foreign Minister stated that Greece prefers recruiting Bangladeshi professionals for their hard work and law abiding nature. Greece will recruit a good number of Bangladeshi workers for its agriculture, tourism and hospitality and construction sector in the coming days. Besides two Ministers also agreed that meaningful cooperation between the two countries in the shipping sector can create a win-win situation as they complement each other and also agreed  on  building the legal framework for fruitful cooperation in the shipping sector. Deputy Prime Minister of Spain meets Foreign Minister Hasan Later on Tuesday Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud had a fruitful discussion on issues of bilateral importance and mutual interest with Spanish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges Maria Jesus Montero on the sidelines of 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens. Both sides agreed to establish cooperation in the climate change, water management , food and agriculture cooperation, green energy, environmental sectors and issues of mutual interest.  

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said police and intelligence agencies are working to strengthen security across the country ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. He said this after a meeting for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr at the Home Ministry conference room at the Secretariat on Monday (April 1). The minister said all measures will be taken to maintain law and order across the country during Eid-ul-Fitr. Police and intelligence agencies will be deployed alongside uniformed police to prevent theft, robbery, hijacking, extortion and terrorist activities. He said police patrols will be in all important places, big cities and ports, including the diplomatic areas of the capital. Besides, special measures will be taken to maintain law and order on waterways.

The European Union (EU) has expressed their eagernass to strengthen partnership with Bangladesh in the coming days.  "We strongly reconfirmed mutual interest in strengthening between EU-Bangladesh cooperation on disaster preparedness and discussed the need to reinforce humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees," European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said after his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud in Brussels on the sidelines of 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen aslo expressed that EU is willing to strengthen ties with Bangladesh in a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud. European Commissioners expressed  their keen interest in working together with Bangladesh on various issues by increasing EU cooperation and strengthening partnership. Dr. Hasan Mahmud also attained a number of bilateral meetings on the day with Hanke Bruins Slot, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Foreign Minister of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, Foreign Minister of Portugal Dr. João Gomes Cravinho and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.    During the bilateral meetings, The Ministers discussed matters of deep mutual interest including increasing trade and investment.  Dr. Hasan requested them to increase international pressure on Myanmar for repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas with full rights.   Dr. Hasan Mahmud also had fruitful exchanges with  EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell Fontelles, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel and Foreign Minister of Slovenia Tanja Fajon.  

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday during a bilateral meeting expressed their satisfaction over the existing deep relationship between the countries and simultaneously agreed to take effective steps to strengthen the relationship further. "Both the prime ministers expressed satisfaction over the existing deep relationship between Bangladesh and India and agreed to take effective steps to strengthen further this relationship," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters while briefing about the outcome of the bilateral meeting of the two premiers. Besides, he said that Modi also laid emphasis on resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries through amicable discussion. "Indian prime minister laid emphasis on resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries through talks at the official level," he added. Momen said, "The India prime minister expressed his deep gratitude to the Bangladesh prime minister for her contribution to ensuring the existing peaceful situation in the North Eastern region of his country". The bilateral meeting took place at the official residence of the Indian Prime Minister in New Delhi. Earlier, the Bangladesh premier arrived here in the afternoon to join the G20 Summit at the invitation of Narendra Modi.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives in New Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit hoping to strengthen economic ties between the South Asian countries. Strategically important energy, power and port projects will be discussed during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, officials from both countries said. In his first trip to India since he took over as the president a year ago after his predecessor was forced to quit following widespread protests, Wickremesinghe also will update New Delhi on progress made to stabilize the island’s crisis-hit economy.  India’s support was critical for Sri Lanka last year after it almost ran out of dollars and sank into a financial crisis that left it struggling to fund essential imports including fuel and medicine. India provided about $4 billion in rapid assistance between January and July 2022, including credit lines, a currency-swap arrangement and deferred import payments, and sent a warship carrying essential drugs for the island’s 22 million people. While New Delhi has traditionally had strong ties with its southern neighbour, the small island nation has become a jousting ground between India and China due to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean. An Indian official, speaking anonymously because he is not authorised to speak to journalists, said an agreement for development projects in the northeastern coastal city of Trincomalee will be announced during the visit, along with another agreement for renewable energy projects. In October, Wickremesinghe unveiled a blueprint for Trincomalee including a proposal to work with India to develop a strategic port, a new industrial zone and an energy hub, according to details released by his office.

In an exclusive chat, Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said that Predator drones would strengthen defence forces referring to their ability to fly continuously for more than 30 hours and effectively cover vast areas. India and the US inked a $3 billion deal for 31 Predator drone when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in United States for a state visit on the invitation of President Joe Biden.  Out of 31 drones, the Navy will get 15 SeaGuardian drones, while the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) will get eight each of the land version. However, India is yet to finalise the cost and specific terms of purchase of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the US.  The defence ministry has said it will examine the "best price" offered by the manufacturer to other nations before concluding the procurement. Admiral R Hari Kumar revealed that the Indian Navy has been utilising these drones, which fall into the category of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones, to improve surveillance and increase maritime domain awareness. "We realised the need for these drones to enhance our surveillance capabilities and gain a better understanding of our maritime surroundings," Admiral R Hari Kumar told.  He further said that the Navy has leased two Predator drones since November 2020 and has been successfully operating them since then. The Navy chief shared impressive statistics regarding the operation of the drones, stating, "We have flown for over 12,000 hours of operation and have comprehended the numerous benefits and advantages they provide. These drones enable us to maintain surveillance over vast areas effectively." Admiral R Hari Kumar also emphasised the significance of these drones in safeguarding the Indian Ocean region, where the Navy often has to cover distances of 2,500 to 3,000 miles to gather critical information about the presence and activities of various entities operating in those waters. "In peacetime, we conduct ISR missions, which involve intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.  However, in times of crisis or combat situations, these drones possess the potential to be utilized for detecting, tracking, and even targeting," he added, underscoring the strike capabilities of the Predator drones. Source: indiatoday.in

The government wants to build a smart population to establish a developed country by 2041. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked this at the Bangladesh Coast Guard's founding anniversary ceremony on Monday, February 13. She said, forces like Coast Guard are working efficiently to ensure the security of the coastal region. She also commented that the government is working to strengthen the Coast Guard. The Prime Minister complained that those who were in power after 1975, had no intension to establish rights in the maritime boundary.

Union Defense Minister, who is in Cambodia to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meet (ADMM) Plus, said on Tuesday that India is committed to the implementation of various initiatives to offer its capacities and experience for strengthening India-ASEAN defense relations. "India is committed to the implementation of various initiatives and continues to offer its capacities and experience for strengthening the India-ASEAN defense relations," the defense minister tweeted. Singh is on an official visit to Cambodia on November 22-23 at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Cambodia Samdech Pichey Sena TEA Banh. Cambodia, as the current chair of ASEAN, is hosting the (ADMM Plus) meeting this year. United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin took to his Twitter handle and said that India-US continue to make strides in strengthening the defense ties with each other as both countries share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. "Great meeting with my friend @rajnathsingh at the ADMM-Plus today. We're continuing to make strides in enhancing our defense cooperation as we advance our shared vision for a #FreeandOpenIndoPacific," Austin tweeted. Notably, the maiden India-ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting was held today at Siem Reap, Cambodia to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations in 2022, which has also been designated as 'ASEAN-India Friendship Year'. India and ASEAN have a longstanding, strong, and comprehensive strategic partnership. India places a high priority on its interaction with ASEAN multilateral platforms like ADMM-Plus and the East Asia Summit. India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to further the dialogue and cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus countries. India and ASEAN elevated their relationship to a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' in November 2022. Moreover, Rajnath Singh also met his Australian counterpart and held bilateral discussions. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Rajnath Singh said, "Insightful deliberations with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Mr. @RichardMarlesMP on boosting defence ties and deepening cooperation between India & Australia in Siem Reap, Cambodia today." Sharing details regarding his meeting with Rajnath Singh, Richard Marles in a tweet said that they discussed shared ambitions for future cooperation between the two nations and reviewed the growth of the defence partnership in 2022. Richard Marles tweeted, "Great to see @rajnathsingh today to reflect on the significant growth of our defence partnership in 2022 and discuss our shared ambitions for future cooperation. Australia and India are great friends and we share an interest in an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific."   Source: ANI

A visiting delegation of Indian business executives from the ceramic tile, porcelain floor, wall and decoration tile, bathroom sanitary ware, and related industries met with their Vietnamese counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City to compare notes and seek tie-ups, the Vietnam News reported. Speaking at the Vietnam-India business meeting on August 23, Vishal Acharya of Mumbai-based Emerald Worldwide Connections Private Limited said that India was the second largest ceramic tiles producer in the world after China and accounted for 20 per cent of the global production. "India was among the top 10 trading partners of Vietnam, which in turn was considered an important country in India's 'Look East policy,' which is reflected in the multi-faceted co-operation between the two countries in recent years," Vietnam News quoted Deputy general director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nguyen Huu Nam as saying. India, like Vietnam is a rapidly developing country, with booming construction, which is pushing up demand for tiles and other building materials, according to the businessman. Indian enterprises are very interested in the Vietnamese market, and they want to not only export to the country but also invest and produce there. Trade between the two countries reached USD 13.2 billion last year, up 36.6 per cent year-on-year. India's exports to Vietnam were worth USD 6.95 billion, 56.7 per cent more as compared in 2020, while Vietnam's rose by 19.6 per cent, he said, adding that the two countries target soon to reach USD 15 billion. "To achieve this goal, Vietnam and India need to further strengthen co-operation in fields where the two sides have strengths and competitive advantages and complement each other," he said. Nguyen Huu Nam told that the meeting organized by the VCCI and Emerald Worldwide Connection was among the activities to promote the Ceramics and Bath Industry Show (CBIS) to be held in January 2023 in India, the Vietnam News reported. "After more than two years of disconnection due to COVID-19, the event today will provide Vietnamese businesses with useful information about products, markets, and incentives to attend CBIS in India. Besides, the B2B business networking session offers opportunities to find new partners and strengthen business relationships for businesses from both sides." Acharya invited Vietnamese companies to participate in the exhibition, saying it would showcase the best-in-class products and technologies in the fields and offer business matching, factory tours, and seminars on the latest industry developments. The expo would be a perfect platform for manufacturers to showcase their products and network with the "most influential industry stakeholders and generate business leads," and visitors could source the latest materials and services and meet directly with decision-makers in companies to negotiate prices, he added. Source: ANI